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List your Privately Owned Aircraft for Hire on the AOPA Website – FREE to Pilot and Instructor Members |
Aircraft Owners
If your aircraft is under-utilised it can make sense to hire it out for self-fly hire to other trusted pilots.
Flying a low number of hours a year is generally bad for the aircraft, especially the engine, and it also pushes up your actual cost per hour to fly.
Part-21 Certified Aircraft
If your aircraft is a UK Registered Part-21 aircraft with a Certificate of Airworthiness you can, subject to any restrictions, hire it out for private self-fly hire and charge whatever hourly rate you set.
Self-fly hire of UK Registered Part-21 aircraft is deemed to be a commercial operation if the following applies:
Reference: Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 ('the Basic Regulation'), Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 on Air Operations
The term 'commercial operation' is defined in Article 3 of the Basic Regulation as follows:
'Commercial operation' shall mean any operation of an aircraft, in return for remuneration or other valuable consideration, which is available to the public or, when not made available to the public, which is performed under a contract between an operator and a customer, where the latter has no control over the operator.
If your UK Registered Part-21 aiircraft is operating with an engine beyond TBO, or is older than permitted years, you may be restricted to private use only. In this case, an alternative would be for the hirer to have some level of share in the aircraft and operate it as a private group. Your maintenance organisation should be able to advise you.
To avoid possible tax benefit in kind implications, assuming that you use the aircraft yourself, if your aircraft is owned and operated as a limited company or trust you should only charge it out at the hourly rate that you pay yourself.
You need to make sure that any other pilot using the aircraft is covered by the aircraft insurance and can legally fly it.
If your aircraft is a CAA Permit aircraft you may only hire it out for private self-fly hire if the permit allows you to do so. If it doesn’t, only the sole owner or shareholder of a group owned aircraft may pay to fly the aircraft. The ANO 2016 no longer requires that each shareholder has to own an equal share and there is no longer a 20 person maximum number of shareholders, each with a 5% share. So long as each shareholder has some equity, i.e. not a £0 share, and is registered as a joint owner of the aircraft with the CAA, each shareholder can pay to fly the aircraft. Using this change may allow you to allow other pilots to pay to fly the aircraft.
Annexe I Aircraft
Unless the aircraft has a CofA, a Permit to Fly or permission from the CAA that allows you to hire it out for self-hire you may not do so. Only the sole owner or shareholder of a group owned aircraft may pay to fly the aircraft. The ANO 2016 no longer requires that each shareholder has to own an equal share and there is no longer a 20 person maximum number of shareholders, each with a 5% share. So long as each shareholder has some equity, i.e. not a £0 share, and is registered as a joint owner of the aircraft with the CAA, each shareholder can pay to fly the aircraft. Using this change may allow you to allow other pilots to pay to fly the aircraft.
You need to make sure that any other pilot using the aircraft is covered by the aircraft insurance and can legally fly it.
National Permit to Fly Aircraft
Unless the aircraft has a Permit to Fly or you have the permission of the CAA that allows you to hire it out for self-hire you may not do so. Only the sole owner or shareholder of a group owned aircraft may pay to fly the aircraft. The ANO 2016 no longer requires that each shareholder has to own an equal share and there is no longer a 20 person maximum number of shareholders, each with a 5% share. So long as each shareholder has some equity, i.e. not a £0 share, and is registered as a joint owner of the aircraft with the CAA, each shareholder can pay to fly the aircraft. Using this change may allow you to allow other pilots to pay to fly the aircraft.
You need to make sure that any other pilot using the aircraft is covered by the aircraft insurance and can legally fly it.
Before you Hire out your Aircraft
Check that your Aircraft Insurance will cover rental and if there is additional premium or excess.
Have terms and conditions of hire available in electronic format for the hirer to reference.
Have the Aircraft POH and check list in electronic format for the hirer to reference.
If you have a preferred Instructor for check rides let the hirer have their details.
If the hirer needs to be a joint-owner make sure the terms and conditions cover this.
If the hirer becomes a joint-owner, be aware of Section 88 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 – Detention and Sale of Aircraft for Unpaid Airport Charges.
If you have any doubts about the hirer DON’T let them fly the aircraft.
To advertise your privately owned aircraft for hire please open the section below and complete the form.